The invention relates to a slat wall section and a slat wall system using such a section.
Slat walls have a front surface formed by horizontally elongated front members separated by horizontally elongated grooves. The grooves receive supports, such as braces and hangers, which, in turn, support shelves and the merchandise that is being displayed. Slat walls are used extensively for wall displays because of the versatility that they offer as far as placement of the supports to be mounted thereon.
Often slat walls are formed as extruded horizontally elongated slat wall sections that are interlocked with similar upper and lower slat wall sections to form a slat wall panel. Generally, the upper and lower horizontal ends of the slat wall sections have connectors which mesh with those of the vertically adjacent sections to secure the sections together. Several panels, in turn, are used to form a slat wall. It is important that the hooking engagement between vertically adjacent slat wall sections be such that the finished slat wall is sturdy. Further, the spacing between the front members of the slat wall sections should be uniform to maintain an asthetically pleasing appearance of the slat wall. In addition, the grooves in the slat wall should be designed to promote stable engagement between the slat wall and the supports that are mounted on the slat wall within the groove.
One such slat wall panel system, using extruded plastic units, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,240. The lower edge of each slat wall panel unit includes a land which forms one side of an open-ended box B. The next adjacent side of the box is defined by an arm of the next adjacent channel. The third side of the box is provided by a wall which is integral with the arm. The fourth side of the box is a stub arm which depends from the land and terminates short of the wall to provide a gap therebetween. The upper edge of each slat wall panel unit includes a T-shaped flange. The flange engages endwise in the box of a vertically adjacent slat wall panel unit so that the units are securely locked together. The head of the "T" engages through the gap and against the wall of the lower edge of a vertically adjacent slat wall panel, and the stem of the "T", constituted by a rib, engages behind the stub arm. It is believed that adjacent such slat wall panel units must be secured together by placing the flange of one unit within the box of an adjacent slat wall panel unit from the side of the unit and sliding the units relative to each other until the sides of the units are coextensive.
It is desired to develop a slat wall system in which the engagement between vertically adjacent slat wall sections is sturdy, and in which the engagement does not interfere with uniform spacing between the front members. Because slat wall sections can be on the order of six feet long, the sections are difficult for one person to handle while engaging the connectors of vertically adjacent slat wall sections from the side and sliding the sections relataive to each other until the sides of the sections are coextensive. Therefore, it would be desirable to be able to hook adjacent members together from the front or back.